Stories from an Empty Classroom

Science Fiction Short Story

As the title says.

It's not that Arabella didn't like building, quite the opposite actually. It was, unfortunately, in her nature. That was the part that she didn't like, the fact that she was compelled to build for these people. She couldn't even remember their names! How was she supposed to label the doors if she didn't know their names?! Her brother, Leonidas, thought it hilarious that the only thing she was worried about was if she had enough space for everyone, Arabella thought it annoying. Why couldn't she be compelled to build something useful for her family? Like a prison cell and torture chamber to hold Leonidas in when he gets too annoying, she thought as she finished knitting the final blanket. Worse even, another bird was encroaching on her territory. Not even a useful bird, he was a swan. His name, she could remember, Efron, the 'singing bird.' He wouldn't shut up about it! And here she was, knitting him and his family blankets. She liked to call him 'Gannet,' meaning 'goose.' Suited him so much better.

Arabella thought that when River escaped the month before, they wouldn't see her again. How wrong she was. She brought back her family, asking for help. It took everything she had not to put up a fight, whereas her brother was all over the idea. 'More people to talk to,' he'd said. What if she didn't want to talk to people? People only brought pain and disappointment, why should these people be any better? They've been through the same things, she reminded herself. We aren't the only ones. She had come to like them well enough over the past month, it was simply Efron that she hated. All he did was complain. It grated on her nerves, but Leonidas loved him. He's a goose too.

"Are you still worried over those blankets?" Arabella jumped away from her task of folding said blankets when her brother spoke from the doorway to her room.

"I'm sorry, Leon, that I don't want people to dying of hypothermia. Because in case you've been absent during the past year, it does get cold at night, and they may say they don't care, but I do." She said, aggressively putting a folded blanket on top of the pile on the table.

"Yes, Rabel, but there are other things to worry about." He said, coming up from behind and hugging his sister, ignoring the irritated flutter of her wings.

"Like what?" She asked, relaxing slightly.

"I don't know, maybe the giant animals roaming the planet trying to kill us?"

". . .hypothermia is still an issue. It doesn't matter anyway, the blankets are finished" Arabella said, shaking off her brother from her back and stepping away.

"As is the food, come eat. Aviel says that he's got some news."

"Aviel... the... lion, right?" Leonidas sighed.

"Yes, the lion. Seriously? They've been here a month, you should know their names by now."

"Excuse me, but owls are forgetful."

"Nope. Pretty sure that's just you. Now, come on! There won't be any food left if you keep slacking off like this."

"SLACKING OFF! Excuse me, but I've knitted 28 blankets in eight hours! I am not slacking off!" She called, but Leonidas was already gone, his tail was the last thing she saw before he was gone. So she sprinted on to the platform outside her room before making an abrupt take-off, disturbing all the trees around her, and knocking the pile of blankets off the table. She landed outside the dining hall with a thud and heard an annoyingly smooth voice from the inside.

"The British are coming! The British are coming!" Arabella burst into the room, slamming the door. Around the round table sat the Gannet, the cat twins, and River. The 'kids,' minus Leonidas, she must've beaten him there.

"Australian, get it right, long-neck," she said grabbing a plate. "This is my house, I can kick you out. In that way, yes, I am like the British."

"Oh, but feather-fluff, you're too kind to do that. Even if I did take the last English Muffin," teased Efron from his place at the table, waving said muffin around, only to have it snatched from his hand. "Hey! Give that back!"